“Ye Never Knew Me”
Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 7:30–33
30 Verily I say unto you, It is not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
31 For the day soon cometh, that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works.
32 And many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name; and in thy name cast out devils; and in thy name done many wonderful works?
33 And then will I say, Ye never knew me; depart from me ye that work iniquity.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:
“These two expressions [i.e., ‘I never knew you’; ‘Ye never knew me’] convey substantially the same general thought. Jesus is saying: ‘I never knew you as true disciples, for you never received the fulness of my gospel and came into my Church, and hence, Ye never knew me’; or, ‘Ye never knew me so fully as to be sealed up unto eternal life with your callings and elections made sure, and since you did not magnify your callings in the priesthood, you shall be cast out and be as though I never knew you.’”
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:255.)
